The Wave In Pictures (including Simon Hughes’s Skisuit)

December 6, 2009 — Andy

Yesterday I went, along with quite a few other Lib Dems from all over the place, on “The Wave“, the march to put pressure on the government in the run-up to Copenhagen. I took a few pictures of how the day looked from where I stood. Here are a few of the less crappily taken ones:

We optimistically form ourselves into a march-y configuration, in the hope that this might cause the rest of the march to get moving. Alas, it is in vain.

Some excellently Lib Dem slogans to be found in the crowd: “Effective feed-in tarriffs”, “Tax Fossil Fuels at £100 per tonne of CO2” and others. Well they amused me, anyway. Possibly because we’d got about 40 metres in an hour of “marching” by this point.

Aliens against climate change

Dogs against climate change

And, in case you wanted more of those brilliantly specific placards, here you go!

The march gets into full swing. One thing’s for sure: the Lib Dem section of the march had the best choons (until the battery died). Fact.

Pirates against climate change

Catherine Bearder MEP and Susan Kramer MP show off their moves, spurred on by aforementioned choons

And for an encore, Catherine and Susan bridge the divide between the two wings of the party.

A sea of Lib Dem .. er.. blue.

Simon Hughes sensibly resists calls for any unpleasant partisan shouting at the massed ranks of the Holborn & St. Pancras Labour Party (both of them) in front of us. Although a few chants of “Ed Fordham, Jo Shaw” slip in there somewhere…

Simon Hughes had dug out this ski-suit ensemble from the back of his wardrobe, apparently not seen since his student days. “Look out Simon, it’s the fashion police!”

Shrewsbury & Atcham PPC Charles West finds his way to the front of the mob.

At last, we march down Whitehall, waving to Gordon as we pass No. 10 (“bye bye Gordon!”), and the event culminates in a great band of blue surrounding parliament. Alas, my camera dies at this juncture.

I have to say, as serious an issue as climate change is, I also had a great time at the Wave. Without wanting to make overly party political points, I think it really is worth noting that not a single Tory was spotted by me or anyone I spoke to on this march. I suspect that has as much to do with protests just not being something Tories do as it does their non-existent commitment to the issue.

Anyway, our party was out in force, from an impressive Liberal Youth showing to many OAPs, from rank-and-file to MPs (spotted: David Howarth, Susan Kramer, Nick Clegg, Simon Hughes (hard to miss!), Baron Roberts, and I’m sure there were others who I’ve missed). I got the same feeling of “political family” I get from going to conference, but coupled with the sense that this was what our party does best: face outwards to the world, not inwards to ourselves.

Now lets hope that the Wave helped to put that little bit of extra pressure that makes the difference on the UK’s representatives in Copenhagen.